Stranded sailors find solace in PCB

Brian Currier, right, and Brian Thomas make small repairs on their sailboat after damage to their vessel left them stranded in Panama City Beach. "We've had to learn the whole boat through and through," said Currier. "Right now we feel like we're mechanics, plumbers and electricians."

Heather Leiphart | The News Herald

By VALERIE GARMAN / The News Herald

Published: Tuesday, April 2, 2013 at 09:02 PM.

PANAMA CITY BEACH — After a series of bouts with mechanics and Mother Nature, a pair of novice sailors are feeling like Panama City Beach is begging them to stay.

Brian Currier, 28, and Brian Thomas, 30, of Northville, Mich. began their Gulf Coast sailing journey from Corpus Christi, Texas, in mid-January and expected to arrive in the Bahamas weeks ago.

However, unforeseen circumstances have kept them docked in Panama City Beach for nearly a month.

“(Panama City) was a planned stop, just not for this long,” Currier said Tuesday, while he and Thomas awaited pricing for damage to their Hunter 360 sailboat. “It almost seems like this is a final destination.”

The latest mishap occurred as they were departing the area last week, when the boat’s mast fell down about 15 miles west of Port St. Joe. About 10 hours later, the pair removed the mast and rigging and watched it sink to the bottom of the Gulf.

Problems with the boat’s motor also welcomed Currier and Thomas to Panama City Beach, further extending their stay. But despite the circumstances, the pair has enjoyed every minute in the area so far.

“Pretty much everything you need on a sailboat has failed since we’ve been here,” Currier said. “This is worlds better than anywhere we’ve stopped — it’s paradise.”

PANAMA CITY BEACH — After a series of bouts with mechanics and Mother Nature, a pair of novice sailors are feeling like Panama City Beach is begging them to stay.

Brian Currier, 28, and Brian Thomas, 30, of Northville, Mich. began their Gulf Coast sailing journey from Corpus Christi, Texas, in mid-January and expected to arrive in the Bahamas weeks ago.

However, unforeseen circumstances have kept them docked in Panama City Beach for nearly a month.

“(Panama City) was a planned stop, just not for this long,” Currier said Tuesday, while he and Thomas awaited pricing for damage to their Hunter 360 sailboat. “It almost seems like this is a final destination.”

The latest mishap occurred as they were departing the area last week, when the boat’s mast fell down about 15 miles west of Port St. Joe. About 10 hours later, the pair removed the mast and rigging and watched it sink to the bottom of the Gulf.

Problems with the boat’s motor also welcomed Currier and Thomas to Panama City Beach, further extending their stay. But despite the circumstances, the pair has enjoyed every minute in the area so far.

“Pretty much everything you need on a sailboat has failed since we’ve been here,” Currier said. “This is worlds better than anywhere we’ve stopped — it’s paradise.”

When Currier and Thomas decided to purchase the sailboat, they had only about four hours of sailing experience between them. Nevertheless, the duo decided to leave their lives in Michigan for a slower pace at sea.

“We were both in a position where we could just leave freely without too many obligations,” Thomas said. “We’ve definitely learned a lot on this trip.”

Thomas and Currier manage a marina marketing business from the water called “Pick a Slip,” which aids marinas across the country in filling boat slips through various search engines.

The idea stemmed from a blog chronicling a couple’s transition into retirement, which involved selling their things and starting a life at sea.

“We just decided to do it,” Currier said. “You don’t have to be retired to do it.”

Since embarking on their trip, the sailors have learned to take things in stride. They also warranted a rescue from the Coast Guard off the coast of Louisiana after a storm blew out their sails.

Currier jokes that the Coast Guard is getting to know them pretty well, and for now, he and Thomas will be in Panama City Beach indefinitely.

“It’s turned into a horror story, but we’ll get down there (to the Bahamas) eventually,” Currier said. “It would appear that Panama City does not want us going anywhere.”

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